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Sung by the sages, all through the ages, the outpourings of the sublime wisdom of Thiruvalluvar, in his inimitable immortal masterpiece, Thirukkural, stands as a bright beacon for all mankind. It transcends far beyond the barriers of the language in which it was created. It has been unique in its universal appeal, without distinctions of caste, religion or other social barriers. It has been one of the guiding voices for the mankind, not of yesterday, to-day or tomorrow but of the mankind through eternity.

The echo of the Thirukkural in the reverberations of later poets bear ample testimony to its great appeal and immneseimmense [sic] influence on man through the ages. Its aroma has spread far beyond the confines of the Tamil language into distant countries where people speak different languages and has won the admiration and praise as the finest gems of thought. This aspect is described in the introduction that follows this foreword. The excellence of Kural is not confined to the thought that relate to lofty ideals but also to the choice of words and their combination with the wisdom they create and stand par excellence.

Despite all that has been said above, it is a fact that reference to Kural in the world literature is most conspicuous by its absence. Why should this be so ? The reasons are not far to seek if one looks at the problem from the perspective of a Librarian. No doubt the Kural is beyond intentional or intellectual neglect, being | a great classic. The only plausible reason appears to be that of bibliographical neglect. Therefore the UNESCO is to be congratulated for the valuable service rendered by it by including Kural in the list of books to be translated in all languages.